US Involvment In Vietnam 1954-63 Flashcards
Where was the first important battle in Vietnam?
Dien Bien Phu
When was the first important battle in Vietnam?
13th March 1954
What were 2 reasons for the first important battle in Vietnam?
Vietnam was a French colony. After WW2 France wanted to regain it’s colonies
The Vietnamese wanted interdependence
What was the communist Vietnamese party called?
Vietminh
Who led the Vietminh?
Ho Chi Minh
What happened after Japan Surrendered in WW2?
Ho Chi Minh annouced that Vietnam was now the Democratic Rebublic of Vietnam
And that they were free from France
He also asked the US for help to secure their interdependence
Why didn’t the US help Vietnam secure thir interdependence?
They thought Ho Chi Minh may make Vietnam communist
How did the French react to the formation of the Decomratic Rebublic of Vietnam?
Theu set up the State of Vietnam in the south (were there was less suport for Ho Chi Minh)
Who ruled the the State of Vietnam?
Bao Dai who was under the controll of the French
When did China become communist?
1949
Why did th fear of communism spreading grow in 1949?
China became communist and started suppling the Vietminh with supplies, weapons and advisers
By 1954 how mich was the US spending in Vietnam?
80% of Frances War - theu urged them to send advisers
What happened right before the battle at Dien Bien Phu?
The french built an airstrip to lure the Vietminh over for a battle
The French had 15,000 troops and waited for an attack
How did the Vietminh reat the the building of an air strip in Dien Bien Phu?
They surrounded it with 50,000 troops with artilery on the mountian (which took months) and anti aircraft guns
Who did the Vietminh have in reserve at Dien Bien Phu?
Anpther 50,000 soilders
200,000 civilians helping them eg with the transporting of the artilery up the mountian
How long sid the battle of Dien Bien Phu last?
55 days
When did the French surrender at Dien Bien Phu?
7th May 1954
Why didn’t the americans get involved at Dien Bien Phu?
The korean war had lost 34,000 american lives so it was unlilly that congess would aprove plans fo another war
What were the main reasons that the French lost at Dien Bien Phu?
Local conditions Local support China's help Vietminh commitment French problems
How did local conditions lead the a vietminh victory?
The vietnamese people new the landscape of their countey and had saw that it was a trap
They knew which mountians they could put artiliary on and which it would be too hard to do so
How dod local support lead to the Vietminh victory?
The local villagers would do anything that the army needed
They helped move supplies - make roads ect
Theu could spy on the French
How did Vietminh commintent lead to their win?
Theu would work all day and night
Theu were fighting for thir interpendence (they had a good reason to fight)
How did french problems lead to the Vietminh victory?
Theu understimated the Vietminh
Supply planes were shot down
The troops lacked commitment - many troops were German and not French
Where did 9 countries meet to discuss what would happen to Vietnam?
What did this result in?
Geneva
The geneva accords
What did the Geneva Accords do?
Seperate Vietnam along the 17th parallel
Ho Chi Minh would run North Vietnam
Bao Dai would run South Vietnam
For up to 300 days people of Vietnam could move between the North and South freely
No foreign troops could set up bases in Vietnam
In July 1956 elections would be help for leadership for a united Vietnam (under international supervision)
Who did Bao Dai elect prime minister?
Ngo Dinh Diem
When was Diem elected Prime Minister?
June 1954
How did Diem get controll of South Vietnam?
Dai went ot France so Diem ruled the country
What was the capital of North Vietnam?
Hanoi
What was the capital of South Vietnem?
Saigon
Which countries were at the Geniva summit?
USA, USSR, UK, Cambodia, China, France, Laos, North Vietnam, South Vietnam
What disagreements were made in Geneva?
South Vietnam and the USA refused to obay the Accords
North Vietnam wanted Vietnam to be split by the 13th parallel and for elections to be in 6 months
Why was the agreement in Geneva a waste of time?
Neither country wanted the agreements
China pressurised North Vietnam to give in
What haopened to advisers (of the west) in Vietnam after the Geneva Accords?
US advisers stayed
French advisers left
Who created the Domino Theory?
Eisenhower
What was the Domino Theory?
The thought that is Vietnam fell to communism other countries like Laos, Cambodia and Burma would also fall to communism
What did Eisenhower set up to stop the Domino Theory?
SEATO
South East Asia Treaty Organisation
When was SEATO set up?
September 1954